


By Your Side

by journeycat



Category: PIERCE Tamora - Works, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Illnesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-16
Updated: 2011-04-16
Packaged: 2018-03-02 12:47:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2812496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/journeycat/pseuds/journeycat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jonathan tries to nurture Zahir back to health.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By Your Side

Zahir cried out and Jon, flinching from his fitful doze, instinctively reached out for his squire's hand. The brown, twitching fingers clutched at him. _The fever_ , Jon thought for the hundredth time. _The fever is giving him hallucinations again_. He lifted his head from the bed and arched his back against the hard chair in which he sat, trying to loosen his cramped muscles.

How long had he been asleep? It felt like forever, though he knew he hadn't been asleep for any length of time. He hadn't been able to sleep at all, with Zahir so ill; he couldn't just abandon him. It felt wrong, somehow, seeing Zahir reduced to someone who wept and thrashed and vomited all over himself. Jon wouldn't leave him to an impersonal healer, even if it was Baird.

"I was sick like this once, too," Jon said. Zahir rolled his head in his direction, hair plastered to his drenched forehead and eyes staring without seeing. "I was going to die, but I had someone pull me back with magic. I don't know how to do that with you, but I've been assured you're not dying, anyway, so I suppose that's okay."

His squire closed his eyes. Jon took a cool, wet cloth and placed it on his brow. "My mother used to sing to me when I was sick. Would it be too silly for me to sing to you?"

Zahir groaned and flung his hand away. Jon snorted. "Yes, I suppose my singing would only make it worse, eh?"


End file.
